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Sir Jim Ratcliffe reportedly explored the possibility of involving Jeff Bezos in a Manchester United proposal before the billionaire businessman was later linked with a potential approach for Liverpool.
Businessman Amit Bhatia has reportedly approached the Amazon founder about joining a potential ownership group exploring the purchase of a minority stake in Liverpool from Fenway Sports Group. According to Sky News, discussions remain at an early stage and there is no indication Bezos will participate.
Reports suggest Bhatia's consortium is considering acquiring up to a 30 percent stake in the club, with Liverpool valued at more than $6 billion in the ongoing talks, making it England's second-most valuable club behind United.
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Ratcliffe became a minority shareholder in United almost three years ago. Since taking control of football operations, one of his biggest decisions has centered on whether to redevelop Old Trafford or replace it with a brand-new stadium. Ratcliffe outlined ambitions to build a "Wembley of the North" as criticism of Old Trafford's ageing condition continues.
According to reports, he explored the possibility of private financing for the project and even floated the idea of attracting investment from tech billionaires Elon Musk or Bezos. Ratcliffe reportedly believed United's global profile could appeal to the pair, whose estimated net worths stand at around $486 billion and $246 billion respectively. It is unclear if those proposals gained any traction
United has since moved forward with its lans for a new stadium without the backing of either billionaire. The proposed stadium would be built around 350 metres north-west of the existing Old Trafford site. With a planned capacity of 100,000, it would become the largest stadium in England, surpassing Wembley Stadium's 90,000-seat capacity.
It would also rank as the second-largest football stadium in Europe, behind only Barcelona's renovated Camp Nou, which is set to accommodate around 105,000 spectators
Bezos is currently ranked as the fourth-richest person in the world, behind Musk, Larry Page and Sergey Brin. Although the Amazon founder has previously been linked with potential investments in several major sports franchises, he has never completed a deal to become the owner of a major team.
Bezos was reportedly interested in a possible move for the Washington Commanders in 2023 before Josh Harris' ownership group completed a $6.05 billion takeover. He has also been linked with the Seattle Seahawks, Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns, Detroit Lions and Los Angeles Chargers, but none of those talks resulted in a purchase.
Amazon already has a significant presence in sports through its exclusive Thursday Night Football broadcasts on Prime Video. Meanwhile, a spokesperson for FSG confirmed that Bhatia's group has shown interest in acquiring a stake in Liverpool, although the owners are not considering a full sale of the club.
The potential agreement would follow a similar path to FSG's 2023 sale of a minority stake to Dynasty Equity rather than a complete takeover. A minority investment would allow Bezos to become connected with one of football's biggest brands without taking on the responsibility of running Liverpool or becoming the club's main public figure.
